One interesting NASA photo/caption discusses the ebb and then flow of water
within the Caspian Sea.  The URL I did not have at my disposal yesterday
when I posted my message shows the changing water flow in the Caspian Sea
as viewed from the Space Shuttle (STS-111). It can be viewed at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/images/eol/2002/caspiansea.html

The caption discusses the dramatic changes in water levels in the Caspian
Sea -- a reduction in the water levels between the 1930's and 1978, (which
is what I remembered reading and commented on yesterday) and then a rise in
the water levels induced by construction of a dam designed to stem this
ebbing of water and prevent the flow onto the low-elevation Zaliv
Kara-Bogaz-Gol basin.  This is the reason for the sudden reversal and rise
of water in the Caspian Sea.  The picture clearly shows the free-flow of
H2O between the Caspian and Zaliv Kara-Bogaz-Gol embayment.

I can't imagine that the changing waters, and pollution in this closed
water system are not severely impacting the aquatic faunas of both bodies
of water.  Much has been written about the declining caviar production due
to the loss of the sturgeon fish populations.

Some other interesting photos of the Caspian Sea viewed from space can be
seen at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/multimedia/sts-81-photos/81p
-049.htm

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/multimedia/sts-60-photos/60p
-018.htm

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/Regions/Caspian_Sea/366.html

http://www.parstimes.com/MODIS/CaspianSeaMarch2003_1km.jpg
http://www.parstimes.com/MODIS/CaspianSea.A2002.jpg
A series showing changes between 2002 and 2003

... and the mother-of-all Caspian Sea image sites, which includes some of
the above:  http://www.parstimes.com/SatCaspian.html
(the site Peter provided yesterday)

An article entitled, "Geomorphology of Southern Azerbaijan and
Coastal Responses to Caspian Transgression" can be read at:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/DynamicEarth/Chapter18/Cp18.htm

Also, here are some photos of the ebbing waters in the Aral Sea that Patty
has mentioned:
http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/HPDOCS/misr/misr_html/aral_sea.html

If you are interested in more space photos of Earth, this NASA Web page has
links to very interesting material and photos about oceanography studies
conducted from space, based on a UCAR (University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research) publication called "Oceanography from the Space
Shuttle". The Web site contains some superb Earth photos -- including some
locales that you may have visited for shelling, and places that I would
rather be in right now ! :-)
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/OCDST/shuttle_oceanography_web/oss_c
ontents.html

Also, a searchable directory of Earth images and animation of Earth from
space:  http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/Regions/

I am an inveterate map collector, and space photos of Earth are an
extension of that interest. Can you tell?

Rich
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www.worldwideconchology.com
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